Browsing by Author "Berktas, M"

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Change in Serum Concentrations of Interleukin-2 and Interferon-Γ During Treatment of Tuberculosis
(Cambridge Med Publ, 2004) Berktas, M; Guducuoglu, H; Bozkurt, H; Onbasi, KT; Kurtoglu, MG; Andic, S
We aimed to investigate changes in serum concentrations of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma during the clinical course of active tuberculosis, to establish the presence of cellular immunity before and after treatment. Blood samples were taken from 18 patients with active tuberculosis before and 2 months after therapy; IL-2 and IFN-gamma concentrations were evaluated. The mean serum IL-2 concentration before therapy was 164.5 pg/ml (range 12 - 980 pg/ml) and the concentration 2 months after therapy was 92.11 pg/ml (range 1 - 490 pg/ml). The mean serum IFN-gamma concentrations were 10.83 pg/ml (range 1 - 22.2 pg/ml) and 4.64 pg/ml (range 1 - 28.5 pg/ml), respectively. The decrease in concentrations of both cytokines after therapy was statistically significant. Further studies investigating the benefits of adding cytokines to drug treatment for tuberculosis are needed.
Effects of Methylene Blue, Indigo Carmine Solution and Autologous Erythrocyte Suspension on Formation of Adhesions After Injection Into Rats
(Journals of Reproduction Fertility Ltd, 2000) Gül, A; Kotan, Ç; Dilek, I; Gül, T; Tas, A; Berktas, M
The aim of this study was to determine whether autologous erythrocyte suspension can be used as a dye for evaluation of tubal patency and whether it has any advantages over methylene blue or indigo carmine solutions. Reproductively healthy female nulliparous Wistar Albino rats (n = 30), aged 6 months, mass 165-195 g, were assigned randomly to three groups. Rats received a 1 mi i.p. injection of 5% (w/v) methylene blue solution (methylene blue group: n = 10), 5% (w/v) indigo carmine solution (indigo carmine group: n = 10) or 5% (v/v) fresh autologous erythrocyte suspension (autologous erythrocyte group: n=10). At 4 weeks after injection, a small sterile opening was made in the peritoneal cavity of each rat. The cavity was rinsed once with TCM-199 to collect macrophages. The rinsed peritoneal contents were cultured overnight to evaluate macrophage activation. The peritoneal opening was expanded for evaluation of adhesion formation. Only one rat from the autologous erythrocyte group had intra-peritoneal adhesions (score 2), whereas all rats in the methylene blue group (score 1: n = 1; score 2: n = 4; score 3: n = 4; and score 4: n = 1) and seven rats in the indigo carmine group (score 1: it = 1; score 2: n = 2; score 3: n = 3; and score 4: n = 1) had intra-abdominal adhesions. Macrophage activity was observed in the cultured peritoneal contents collected from the methylene blue and indigo carmine groups but not from the autologous erythrocyte group. Adhesion formation could be due to macrophage activation caused by methylene blue and indigo carmine solutions. These results indicate that tubal patency can be observed by laparoscopy using autologous erythrocyte suspension The results of this study are believed to be the first to indicate that a patient's own erythrocyte suspension could be used during observation of tubal patency by laparoscopy. However, further studies are required.
Epidemiological Analysis of Staphylococcus Aureus Strains From Nasal Carriers in a Teaching Hospital
(Luigi Ponzio E Figlio, 2002) Guducuoglu, H; Ayan, M; Durmaz, R; Berktas, M; Bozkurt, H; Bayram, BH
The present study was conducted to assess the epidemiological relation of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from nasal carriers of hospital staff. Nasal swabs were taken from each of 327 personnel. After culturing on blood agar for overnight, probable staphylococcal isolates were identified and subjected to tube coagulase test. After a two-week interval, second nasal swabs were taken from the subjects whose first cultures were positive for S. aureus. Nasal carriage was defined in 58 (17.7%) personnel with positive culture for both sampling time. Antibiogram typing and arbitrarily-primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) with M13 primer were used for typing of the strains. Antibiotyping distinguished seven types and three subtypes, and 85% of the isolates were clustered in one group. AP-PCR, in contrast, identified 12 distinct patterns with 13 variants. A specific profile was not found among the isolates obtained from the personnel in a particular clinic. These results indicate that antibiotyping has poor discrimination power and heterogeneity among the nasal S. aureus strains in the hospital personnel screened is high.
The Influence of Sphincterotomy and Hepatic Plexus Vagotomy on Ascending Infections of the Biliary Tract: an Experimental Study in Dogs
(H G E Update Medical Publ Ltd., 1998) Guler, O; Aydin, M; Ugras, S; Demirtas, I; Berktas, M; Gonenci, R
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hypertonic dyskinesia of the sphincter of Oddi is an important factor in the pathogenesis of postcholecystectomy syndrome, and this condition is usually treated by endoscopic sphincterotomy. However, it has been demonstrated that the biliary tract may also be cont;aminated after sphincterotomy. In various experimental studies, it has been established that the choledochal pressure decreases by a mean of 32% to 28% after hepatic plexus vagotomy. This experimental study was performed to investigate whether hepatic plexus vagotomy and/or sphincterotomy result in contamination of the biliary tract. METHODOLOGY: Thirty street dogs were divided into three equal groups. The three groups underwent simple laparotomy, transduodenal papillotomy, hepatic plexus vagotomy, respectively, and gallbladder bile samples were taken from all of them. Relaparotomy was performed after four weeks, and again, bile samples were taken from the gallbladder. All bile samples were examined microbiologically. RESULTS: Bacteria were not found in the first bile samples taken from the three groups. Bacteria were not found in the bile samples taken during the second surgery in the simple laparotomy and hepatic plexus vagotomy groups. However, both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were found in the papillotomy group in seven of the ten dogs. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that hepatic plexus vagotomy decreased choledochal pressure and did not cause contamination of the biliary tract. It may be a treatment of choice to prevent postcholecystectomy syndrome resulting from sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.
Possible Value of Nasal Smear in Acute Maxillary Sinusitis: an Experimental Study
(Scandinavian University Press, 1997) Kutluhan, A; Ugras, S; Berktas, M; Dilek, HF; Akpolat, N; Inalkac, E
The aim of this study is to determine the role of nasal smear in evaluating diagnosis and response to the treatment by the patient of acute maxillary sinusitis. We compared nasal smear and histopathological findings obtained from rabbits experimentally induced acute maxillary sinusitis. The animals were divided into two groups; one with blocked ostium and treated with antibiotic and the other applied natural ostiotomy, during a 4-week period. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in respect of recovery period. This conclusion was derived from nasal smear and biopsy findings. It was observed that nasal smear and biopsy findings were consistent with each other and with clinical findings. The results of this study revealed that nasal smear may be used in the diagnosis and treatment follow-up of acute maxillary sinusitis.
Prevalence and Antibiotic Sensitivity of Motile Aeromonas in Dogs
(veterinarni A Farmaceuticka Univerzita Brno, 2003) Ceylan, E; Berktas, M; Korkoca, H; Keles, I; Bozkurt, H; Kurtoglu, MG
The present study was carried out to assess the prevalence of motile Aeromonas sp. in the faeces of healthy dogs and to evaluate its susceptibility to some anti-microbial agents. Rectal swabs from 55 domestic dogs were examined for Aeromonas species using alkaline peptone water (pH 8.4) as the enrichment medium and Aeromonas Selective Agar containing 5 mg/l ampicillin as the plating medium. Identification and antibiotic resistance of motile Aeromonas strains was performed using Gram Negative Breakpoint ID panel. After examining these samples, aeromonads were isolated from three (5.45%) dogs. Of those, one was A. sobria, and two were A. caviae. While all isolated strains were sensitive to amikacin, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefotetan, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, imipenem, piperacillin, tetracycline, ticarcillin, ticarcillin/clavulanate, tobramycin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, they were resistant to ampicillin, and ampicillin/sulbactam. In addition, a strain of A. caviae was also resistant to aztreonam. As a result, in the present study, information about the prevalence of Aeromonas in dogs, susceptibility to antibiotics of these microorganisms and its importance for both animal and public health were discussed.
Prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Van Cats in Turkey
(indian veterinary Journal, 2003) Tutuncu, M; Akkan, HA; Karaca, M; Agaoglu, Z; Berktas, M
Report of Three Children With Leptospirosis in Rural Area of the East of Turkey
(Tohoku Univ Medical Press, 2003) Kurtoglu, MG; Tuncer, O; Bozkurt, H; Çaksen, H; Berktas, M; Ceylan, E; Kirimi, E
Leptospirosis is a systemic infection usually producing fever with hepatorenal involvement, meningoencephalitis, and hemorrhage. In this article, we present three children between 10 and 13 years of age with leptospirosis. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize that leptospirosis is a problem in our country with farmers/cattle and that leptospirosis should be considered in certain ill children. The main symptoms were headache, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and unconsciousness. Two patients had hepatic and renal involvement. The other had hepatic, pulmonary and probably pericardial. involvement. In all children spirochetes were demonstrated in blood and urine smears by dark-field microscopy and they were also isolated from urine and blood cultures by using Flecher medium. All patients were treated with penicillin; however, one subsequently required additional antibiotics due to Klebsiella pneumoniae septicemia. While one patient was discharged in a good health, the others were taken to their home by parents without completing treatment. In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that leptospirosis is still a public health problem in our region (Eastern Turkey) in where the majority of population are farmers and raise domestic animals such as cattle in rural areas. Additionally, leptospirosis should be considered in children admitted with headache, unconsciousness, fever and abdominal pain. (C) 2003 Tohoku University Medical Press.
Septicaemia and Meningitis in an Infant
(Blackwell Publishing Asia, 2001) Arslan, S; Bozkurt, H; Güdücüoglu, H; Berktas, M; Çaksen, H; Akçay, G
Seronegativity of Equine Infectious Anemia in the East Border of Turkey
(indian veterinary Journal, 2004) Tutuncu, M; Akkan, HA; Karaca, M; Ceylan, E; Berktas, M; Agaoglu, Z
Equine infectious anemia (EIA), colloquially known as swamp fever, mountain fever, slow fever, equine malarial fever and Coggins disease, is a viral disease infecting all members of the Equidae including, horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys. (Sellon, 1993; Nakajima and Sugiura, 1994; Burki et al., 1992). Transmission of the virus requires direct blood transfusion, either by biting insects or other mechanical vectors such as contaminated needles. EIA usually is clinically diagnosed as a chronic disease with a high percentage of affected horses demonstrating weight loss, depression, dependent edema, and reduced haematocrit values, platelet counts, and haemoglobin. The majority of horses infected with EIA virus, however, appear to demonstrate none of the clinical abnormalities (Sellon, loc. cit.; Issel and Foil, 1984; Coggins, 1984). Turkey has a large horse population and, these horses are used for working, racing and breeding. The aim of this study was first to determine whether or not EIA is present in the east border of Turkey. There is no study on EIA in this region at present.
Spread of a Single Clone Acinetobacter Baumannii Strain in an Intensive Care Unit of a Teaching Hospital in Turkey
(Edizioni int Srl, 2005) Güdücüoglu, H; Durmaz, R; Yaman, G; Cizmeci, Z; Berktas, M; Durmaz, B
Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen, especially in immunocomprimised patients and those hospitalized in intensive care units. After the first isolation of A. baumannii strains from the bronchial aspirates of two patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital as a pure culture, screening studies were performed to define possible source(s). A. baumannii strains isolated from bronchial aspirates and blood cultures of the patients in ICU were collected as a possible part of the outbreak. A total of 23 screening samples collected from equipment (7), hands (4) and gloves (2) of the staff, and from ten different body regions of the patients in the ICU were cultured. Antimicrobial susceptibility test of the isolates was performed by the standardized disk-diffusion method. All isolates were subtyped by antibiogram, arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing methods. A total of 26 A. baumannii strains including eight clinical and 18 screening isolates were identified. All isolates were susceptible only to meropenem, tobramycin, and imipenem. There was at least a 96% resistance rate to the other antibiotics tested. Antibiogram typing showed that 24 of the 26 isolates were epidemiologically related, two were unique. AP-PCR yielded two types, one of which had 21 isolates, the other had five. PFGE fingerprinting revealed that all isolates were clonally related, including four closely related and 22 indistinguishable strains. Based on the results of PFGE which has been accepted as a reference method it can be concluded that A. baumannii strains isolated from our intensive care unit originated from a single type of strain.